FAO -Unesco Soilmap of the world Volume V Europe FAO - Unesco Soil map of the vrorld 1: 5 000 000 Volume V Europe FAO - Unesco Soil map of the world Volume I Legend Volume II North America Volume III Mexico and Central America Volume IV South America Volume V Europe Volume VI Africa Volume VII South Asia Volume VIIINorth and Central Asia Volume IX Southeast Asia Volume X Australasia FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THEUNITED NATIONS UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURALORGANIZATION FAO-Unesco Soilmap of the world 1: 5 000 000 Volume V Europe Prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Unesco-Paris 1981 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations or the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its author- ities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Printed¡by Tipolitografia F. Failli, Rome for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Published in 1980 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Place de Fontenoy, 75700, Paris (I) FAO/Unesco 1981 ISBN 92-3-101364-0 Printed in Italy PREFACE The project for a joint FAO/Unesco Soil Map of vested with the responsibility of compiling the tech- the World was undertaken following a recommen- nical information, correlating the studies and drafting dation of the International Society of Soil Science. the maps and text.FAO and Unesco shared the Itis the first attempt to prepare, on the basis of expenses involved in. the realization of the project, international cooperation, a soil map covering all and Unesco undertook publication of its results. the continents of the world in a uniform legend, The present volume, covering the soils of Europe, thus enabling the correlation of soil units and com- is the fifth of a set of ten which make up the com- parisons on a global scale.The project, which started plete publication of the Soil Map of the World. in 1961, fills a gap in present knowledge of soil po- The first volume records introductory information tentialities throughout the world and provides a and presents the definitions of the elements of the useful instrument in planning agricultural and eco- legend which are used uniformly throughout the nomic development programmes. publication.Each of the nine following volumes The project has been carried out under the scien- comprises an explanatory text and the correspond- tific authority of an international advisory panel, ing map sheets covering the main regions of the within the framework of FAO and Unesco pro- world. grammes. The different stages of the work included FAO and Unesco wish to express their gratitude comparative studies of soil maps, field and laboratory to the governmental institutions, the International work, and the organization of international expert Society of Soil Science, and the many individual soil meetings and study tours.The secretariat of the scientists who have contributed so much to this joint project,located at FAO Headquarters, was international project. CONTENTS Preface y 6.Land use and soil suitability. 73 Acrisols. 73 Cambisols 74 Summary. vii Chemozems 77 Podzoluvisols 78 English vn E. Rendzinas 79 French ix G. Gleysols 80 Russian xl H. Phaeozems 80 Spanish xm 1. Lithosols 81 Fluvisols . 81 Kastanozems 82 Luvisols 83 1.Introduction 1 M. Greyzems 85 Histosols 85 Podzols 85 Arenosols 87 2.Acknowledgements 3 R. Regosols . 87 Solonetz 87 Andosols 88 Rankers 88 3.The map 5 VertisoIs 88 Topographic base.. 5 W. Planosols 88 Soil units 5 X. Xerosols 88 Map units 5 Z. Solonchaks 89 Cartographic representation 5 Conclusions 89 Sources of information 7 Bibliography 8 Appendix Morphological, physical and chemical proper- ties of the soils of Europe: descriptions and 4.Environmental conditions 9 results of analysis of typical profiles 91 Climate 9 Figures (at back of volume) Vegetation 10 Annual rainfall Physiography. 19 Annual isotherms Geology and lithology 21 Bibliography January isotherms 26 July isotherms Vegetation regions Major physiographic regions 5.The soils of Europe 27 7.Geological regions 8.Quaternary sediments Major soil regions.Distribution of major 9.Climatic regions soils . 27 10. Major soil regions SUMMARY This volume describes the European section (includ- Climate is classified generally into six major regions ing all of Turkey) of the FAO-Unesco Soil Map of according to the distribution of rainfall and tempera- the World at 1: 5 000 000.Much of the docu- tures throughout the year.This classificationis mentation necessary for the Soil Map of Europe was outlined on four small-scale maps (Figures 1 to 4). furnished by the European countries which had A climatological-agricultural map of Europe appears cooperated with earlier FAO projects, in particular as Figure 9. the Soil Map of Europe at 1: 2 500 000 and more Vegetation is divided into 37 major types of vegeta- recenteffortsto draw up a map on a scale of tion formations, according to their physiognomy and 1 : 1 000 000. structure.These formations, which are situated on a small-scale map (Figure 5),delimit the major The maps European vegetation zones. The two map sheets which make up the Soil Map The physiography of the region is described in its of Europe are drawn on topographic base maps of broad outlines. A small-scale map (Figure 6) in- the 1: 5 000 000 Series of the American Geographical dicates eight major physiographic and tectonic regions Society of New York. The map units are associations which constitute the principal elements of the Euro- of soil units which were assigned the texture and pean relief. slope class of the dominant soil.They are marked The geology of the region is discussed by major on the map by symbols, letters and figures. The stratigraphic formations, whose lithology is given in dominant soils are shown by colours, while phase particular; the major stratigraphic and lithological differences affecting them are shown by overprints. units are situated on a small-scale map (Figure 7). A small inset map on the main map shows the Considering the importance of the quaternary forma- reliability of soil information from which the map tions, the area they cover is shown on a separate was compiled. map (Figure 8). Detailed definitions of the soil units and full descrip- tions of all the terms used may be found in Volume I. THE sous Chapter 5 contains an extensive table of the soil The text associations of Europe in the alphabetical order of The first, introductory chapter describes the develop- their symbols.The columns of the table contain ment of the project in Europe, linked to two other the following information: FAO projects :theSoil Maps of Europe at 1: Complete symbol of the association and that of 2 500 000 and at 1: 1 000 000. The second acknowl- the dominant soil edges the cooperation of the institutions and in- Associated soils dividuals contributing to the maps and the text. Inclusions The third chapter summarizes Volume I as regards F'hases maps and legends. Areas in 1 000 ha Climate ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS Regions of occurrence by country Chapter 4 sets out the environmental factors that Vegetation or land use have close relationships with the pattern of soils: Lithology or parent materials climate, vegetation, physiography, geology and lithol- The distribution of major soils in 17 major soil ogy. regions is shown on a small-scale map (Figure 10). Viii SOIL MAP OF EUROPE LAND USE AND SOIL SUITABILITY agricultural use.By and large, farming is impossible only in the mountainous regions.In some areas, Chapter 6 contains information on the distribution salinity or the dry climate, or both, also impose of soil units encountered in Europe, their current strict limitations. use, their limitations and the yields obtained for the On balance, it can certainly be said that, all in major crops under current agricultural practices. all, Europe is one of the most privileged regions of the world from the standpoint of the agricultural CONCLUSIONS potential of its soils. In northern Europe the excessively cold and humid climate or rocky or shallow soils discourage crop- Appendix growing; this is the zone of the coniferous forest. South of this forest region, reaching to the Medi- The Appendix contains information on the typical terranean region, lies a highly diversified variety of profiles of the major soil units: description of the soils, offering considerable possibilities for suitable site, morphology of the profile and analyses. RESUME Le présent volume de la Carte mondiale des sols LE MILIEU FAO-Unesco au I: 5 000 000 est consacré à l'Europe, Le chapitre 4 expose les facteurs du milieu dont avec inclusion de toute la Turquie. La documentation depend étroitement la répartition des sols: climat, nécessaire pour l'établissement de la carte des soIs végétation, physiographie, géologie et lithologie. de l'Europe a été fournie en grande partie par les Le chinat est décrit d'une manière générale en six pays européens qui avaient collaboréA. un projet grandes régions basées sur la distribution des préci- antérieur de la FAO, notamment celui de la carte pitations et des températures au cours de l'année. des sols de l'Europe au 1: 2 500 000, et qui, plus Cette distribution est schématisée en quatre cartes récemment, ont déployé des efforts visant à la rea- A petite échelle (figures 1 A 4). Une carte agroclima- lisation d'une carte A l'échelle de 1: 1 000 000.